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I'm not entirely sure. I believe it has to do with the DRM implementation. While Widewine is the DRM in Chrome and Firefox, Edge uses something different[1]. I
by ktta 9y ago
I'm not entirely sure. I believe it has to do with the DRM implementation. While Widewine is the DRM in Chrome and Firefox, Edge uses something different[1].
I've seen people talk about Chrome being able to handle 1080p in ChromeOS. So there seems to be more than just Netflix's choice involved here. Although I bet Microsoft being proactive helped. Definitely unclear.
Also I don't see any reason why Netflix wouldn't want to support 1080p in all the major browsers. The only downside might be excess bandwidth, but with the Open Connect Appliance being a thing, I doubt it is a big factor.
[1]: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/07/13/get-better-quality-video-with-microsoft-edge/ https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/07/13/get-b...
- 482794793792894 9y agoAs far as I understand it, you need tight coupling between the browser and the OS to implement the sort of deep-reaching DRM that Netflix/Hollywood wants for 1080p. That would explain why Edge on Windows and Chrome on ChromeOS can do it. Personally, I see it as a plus that my browser/OS combo does not support this. There have to be horrid security implications that just wait to be unturned.
- shmerl 9y agoIndeed: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/drm_in_windows_1.html https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/drm_in_window... Insistence on DRM ironically is causing the opposite effect - wider piracy of DRM-free versions.
- shmerl 9y agoIf it's because of DRM, it's the fault of Netflix. No one stops them releasing their video DRM-free. It's not the first time DRM hampers performance and thus degrades usability. It's by definition an anti-feature.